Imagine what it’s like to have to pay attention to everything
you eat. Then imagine having to check
your blood sugar several times a day because the slightest change to your diet
could literally put you in a life and death battle in the blink of an eye. This is the life of a person with
diabetes.
According to the American Diabetes Association, 1.4 million
Americans alone are diagnosed with diabetes every year. (This does not include undiagnosed
cases.) It remains the seventh leading
cause of death in the United States, and yet it is a disease that does not get nearly
as much attention as it should.
The documentary film project entitled “Two Wheels and a
Dream,” follows Type 1 diabetic Deejay Viloria on a 600+ mile journey, cycling from
Chula Vista to San Francisco. I had the privilege
of attending a Q and A with both Viloria and director Benito Baustista and was
overwhelmed by their passion for this project.
As I listened to them speak about why they believe in this film, I
couldn’t help but think of my own brother, and his daily struggle with the same
disease. Diabetes doesn’t just affect
the person who has it: it affects one’s friends and family as well.
Viloria, now 35 years old, has lived with Type 1 diabetes
for 23 years. When he speaks about “Two
Wheels and a Dream,” it is apparent that there was a time when diabetes
controlled Viloria’s life. As a kid, we are taught to dream big, that we can be
anything we want to be. For Viloria, he
dreamed of following in the footsteps of his dad and joining the navy. Unfortunately, diabetes is a pre-existing
condition. His second dream of being a
pilot was also “stripped” from him.
“The last dream I had left was when I learned how to ride a
bicycle. I went on a 50-mile bike ride
in Mexico with my friends after college and loved it,” said Viloria.
Viloria then made his next dream to be to ride to his
relatives in San Francisco. When he
describes how he reached that dream, Viloria uses the metaphor of an archer
aiming for his target.
“This film is not so much about that 600-mile journey, it’s
about the relationship between my head and my heart,” said Viloria.
“For the last maybe decade and a half, I’ve been up here,”
as his motions to the top of his head. “My
mind, my brain is a time travel.
Why? Because all the time it
thinks about things in the past. I got
hurt before, I felt this before…I worried a lot about what happened. And then I also travel to the future and
worry about what tomorrow’s going to bring,” said Viloria.
Viloria then describes his heart as, “where I live, in the
present.” The two were misaligned. One was constantly worrying about the what
ifs, while the other one was just focusing on the present.
“The journey is the pulling in focus on both my mind and my
heart on one thing. Pedal after pedal
after pedal, hill after hill, dip after dip, valley after valley, whatever it
is, it doesn’t matter. Everything’s
aligned for that one target to get there,” said Viloria.
Viloria quickly realized that there were many contingencies
to work on including what paths he would take, what would he need to eat to
keep his blood sugar in check, etc. But
instead of worrying about that, he realized, “All I needed to do was share it
with someone else who might know what they’re doing.” That person turned out to be Bautista.
Bautista, a cyclist himself, describes Viloria as someone
who brings so much joy to his life. He
mentions tacking J Street in San Diego, known for its hills, and how Viloria
tackled it like a professional.
“His mental toughness is amazing,” said Bautista.
As he goes into the intricacies of the documentary from a
director’s point of view, it becomes clear that the film will explore so much
more than a Type 1 diabetic and his dream.
Bautista describes it as a David vs. Goliath because we are rooting for
the unlikely hero. That unlikely hero is
Viloria, but just as this film is about a “regular person,” it is also about a
struggle that many of us can relate to.
According to Bautista, “the creation of the film is very meticulous
and it has a lot of moving parts.” This
includes musical composition, editing, drama, reality, and the crew. Together its moving pieces comprise a love
story, a sense of community (the Filipino community, the community at large,
and the cycling community), and the relationship between all of us and the
environment, especially the environment we overlook.
The documentary will employ doctors and describe how
diabetes can be monitored and managed.
It will also speak with family members and share their points of views.
As the sister of someone who struggles with Type 1 as well, I
expressed my concerns for what could happen to Viloria if his blood sugar were
to get too high or low during the ride.
Viloria assured me that he was working with his endocrinologist on
getting his blood sugar higher before he rides, but a medic support van will
also be coming on the journey in case of an emergency. His readings from his insulin pump will be
viewable online as he rides by the public.
Viloria plans on cycling between 40-50 miles a day, with a total
of 673 miles. He is expected to take off
on November 26 (contingent on meeting their goal of $50,000), and plans to
arrive in San Francisco within 13 days.
When he is not biking, he will be meeting with the community and camping
out. The trek will be broadcast live on
social media.
As someone who has seen firsthand how this disease can
literally put you at an all-time low, I am encouraged by the enthusiasm that
everyone involved in this film puts forth.
We need more awareness of diabetes and we need this film to be
made. I ask my friends, friends of
friends, to please support this film in any way that you can. I share in their vision, and hope you will
come along on the journey with me as well.
Together we can educate, learn how to set our own limits, and not let a
disease define how we see and interact with the world.
To find out more about the campaign and to pledge please
visit the following link:
To find out more about the documentary, please visit:
